Thursday, March 24, 2016

UNIBADAN STUDENTS’ WELFARE REPORTS, 2015

INTRODUCTIONConsequent to the meeting held with the School management on the 14th of May, 2015, the Dean of Students requested the students’ representatives to come up with a list of challenges and welfare issues facing students’ welfare. It was agreed by both the school management and the students’ representatives that the report on students’ welfare shall be made available for the deliberation of the Students’ Welfare Board which would be sitting on Wednesday, 20th of May, 2015. Another meeting of students’ representatives was held on the 16th of May, 2015. This meeting had in attendance all Hall Chairpersons, some Faculty Presidents, members of the Representative Council, few pressmen and aspirants for the postponed election. After long, lengthy and logical deliberations and due reports from various Halls of Residence and Faculties, those in attendance agreed on the demands below as the challenges facing students’ welfare on campus:

GENERAL STUDENTS’ WELFAREEnough of Manual Course RegistrationThe issue of manual course registration has been a long problem for the students. Manual course registration takes time for completion with stress both on the students and lecturers. We recommend and request that registration of courses should be done online only, as it is done in many Universities globally, to reduce time spent on registration and the stress that comes with it.

Improvement in Water SupplyWater supply system within the school is very poor as students are seen trekking distances to fetch water as if they are in the rural area. An example can be drawn from IDIATES who trek as far as Indy Hall and New PG hall while Indy hall travel as far as Baptist church close to International School Ibadan (ISI) to fetch water. If this persists, we foresee students travelling to Awba Dam to fetch water for their domestic purposes. And when Awba dam dries, the students may seek solace with Eleyele Dam, in Ibadan, Oyo State. The Central water system perceived to be coming from the maintenance has seized to flow in for a very long time. We believe if this is rejuvenated and water adequately pumped into the halls, the problems of water will be half solved.Erratic and Irregular Distribution of Power Supply

The issue of electricity on campus has been a challenge that many administrations have had to face in the past. We do understand through explanations from the school management that it may not be feasible to achieve 24 hours of electricity per day. But, our request is just to remind the school management of its earlier promise as stated by the Vice Chancellor during the Town Hall meeting of 2012 held at Trenchard Hall, where he promised us 18 hours of electricity per day. It should be noted that if this promise has been kept all along by the school management, we may not have had cause to bury one of our own recently, in person of Mr. Mayowa Alaran of the Department of Human Kinetics, faculty of education, University of Ibadan. We don't need to remind the school management that regular power supply is fundamental to the progress of scholarship and academic excellence. When there is blackout or erratic power supply as it has become a norm, practical classes are suspended and researches are greatly affected. Not just that, classrooms become oven-like and the learning environment becomes everything but conducive. We also do not need to remind the school management that many of its lofty programmes like the Wifi and the Kitchenette system depend greatly on a regular power supply to thrive. We hereby wish to reiterate our demand for the fulfilment of the School Management's promise of 18 hours of electricity per day. And most importantly, a further demand of 24 hours uninterrupted power supply is achievable and feasible to key into the in-coming government of the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari’s agendum of tackling the erratic electricity supply nationwide. Thus, it would be a great disservice and hardship when we demand anything less than 24 hours of electricity supply as our demands when met would be towards dispensation of a new government in Nigeria. We are aware that the institution ought to have conquered the issue of electricity or power supply with the existence of departments that could champion other sources of power, or consolidate on the existing sources. The Faculty of Technology in the institution is an example.

It should be specifically noted that the entire Block B in Idia Hall, University of Ibadan is yet to be graced with power supply since resumption. We also need to remind the school management that this particular Block is a new entrants’ Block and this issue has affected the students to the extent that many had to abandon classes due to unavailability of electricity to perform basic things on daily bases that affect learning, proper coordination of activities especially academic activities. The university of Ibadan students are not oblivion of the facilities their counterparts enjoy elsewhere in Nigeria or abroad, but that first university in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan could not cater for their needs is a signal to the failed system, and that the university administration must as matter of urgency embark on total overhaul of the university without politics of interests which had affected the general wellbeing of the inhabitants in the University over the years. The University of Ibadan may as well be prepared to remove the names of the affected new entrants from the University of Ibadan’s list of enrolled students. Such students’ battle with daily survival and adjustment due to gross lack of amenities or facilities, as it would not be surprising to find many of these helpless students' names in the ‘Tsunami’ List, the withdrawal list of those students that could not meet up with required academic grades in the University of Ibadan.

TransportationThe transport system within the campus is not well-coordinated as there is no even distribution of movement to places, a problem attributed to drivers and management of the Intra Campus Transport Committee (ICTC). Some destinations are not covered at all e.g. from the University of Ibadan’s gate to the Veterinary Medicine, from the University of Ibadan’s gate to Awolowo Hall, from the University of Ibadan’s gate to the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, and the likes. Also, we realized that more often the cab drivers stop work at around 7p.m, making students to trek from the University of Ibadan gate to their various destinations. Additionally, most of the cab drivers charge exorbitant fare from the students. We believe that these issues are predominant because the ICTC is under the administration of the University of Ibadan. We request that the ICTC should be fully handed over to Students’ Union, University of Ibadan, because the students are the majority on campus and we can better manage the aforementioned routes in the University for Students’ Convenience.

Inverter Situation in the Halls of ResidenceWe hereby wish to state our displeasure at the breakdown of inverters in the Halls of residence. It will be recalled that these inverters were built about four years to complement the erratic power supply. The inverters afforded the students an opportunity to read and find their ways around the halls in times of blackout. However, barely two years after the installation of these inverters, what they do now is to decorate our corridors. The situation now is so bad to the extent that when there is blackout in the halls of residence, all activities are paralysed including one of the most fundamental activities on campus, reading. We hereby wish to plead with the University’s authorities to restore these inverters to ease students' living on campus.

Limited Connectivity of Wifi NetworksIn the same vein, it should be noted that the Wireless internet connectivity introduced by Prof. Adewole's administration has also been frustrating students. As a point of information, many executives of the Halls of Residence have started installing wireless networks for the residents of their halls at cheaper prices when they abandoned it when it was learnt that the school had a similar plan. One year after the installation of the Wireless network, it gracefully graces our laptops and smart phones with "Limited Connectivity". We understand that the school has a plan of charging students for this service, but the school has refused to provide this service even when the students are ready to pay. We hereby plead with the University management to restore wireless networks to the halls of residence as it goes a long way to help students in research and other academic activities.

State of Security on CampusThere has been an increased incidence of theft across the various halls of residence. This could be as a result of several factors including the frequent lack of electricity and inexperienced security personnel around the campus especially at night. The management needs to take this issue seriously by providing electricity at night and increasing number of security personnel across the school at night. Also not more than three security men should be posted to each hall of residence. This will help reduce cases of theft especially in the female halls of residence.

Lecture RoomsMost of the facilities in our lecture rooms are either not available, not enough or they are dilapidated. The facilities include: fan, air conditioners, projectors, public address systems, etc. We urge the management to visit some of these lecture rooms and identify what is needed for repairs or provision.Poor Lighting System Poor lighting within the campus has been a serious issue. This is because darkness is a haven for rapists and thieves. Our girls are not safe at night anymore especially places where darkness has dominated. Example of such places include Faculties of Science-Technology axis, Faculty of Science-Awo Hall axis. We request the fixing of light along these axes and other places within the school that need this facility at night. This will improve security issues around the campus.KitchenetteIt has also come to our notice that most of the hotplates with the various kitchenettes across all the halls within the campus are no longer working. This will push students back to cooking in their rooms thereby rendering the effort of the management (stopping student from cooking in the rooms) useless. We urge the management to look into this and help the students as quick as possible because there are some students that cannot afford to eat at the cafeterias.Service ProvidersThe various service providers within the campus are not doing enough to alleviate or eradicate the sufferings of students’ e.g University Health Service Centre, University Student Lodging Bureau (USLB) and Maintenance Department.

UNIVERSITY HEALTH SERVICE CENTRE:• The use of Jaja card should be abolished and all student records are to be made electronic. This will create easy access to student records such that matriculation numbers only will be needed to check in any student into the clinic. • The staff of the clinic should be friendly to student. Hostile attitudes are not good for students or any patient in a clinic.• More drivers should be provided for the ambulances available such that we will have one driver to an ambulance unlike it is currently practised as one driver to three ambulances.• Ambulance should be located at specific location at all times to prevent the death of our colleagues. We recommend that an ambulance should be located between Idia-Awo Halls’ axes, another at Zik-Indy Hall axes and another at the Central Administration area in the University of Ibadan.• Additional ambulances should be procured for emergency outside the University with regards to University College Hospital (UCH), University of Ibadan.• Proper vaccination should be given to students as at when due especially students on clinical duties (Veterinary Medicine and PYTP students). Such vaccinations include anti-rabies and hepatitis.• Adequate Fumigation should be carried out per semester across all halls of residence.

UNIVERSITY STUDENT LODGING BUREAU (USLB) AND MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT:• The USLB should adequately attend to students’ needs such that one carpenter, plumber and electrician each should be allocated to each hall of residence and faculty. It has been discovered that there are a lot of broken pipes, dysfunctional taps and bad electrical appliances (especially sockets) within our Halls and Faculties as no one is available to adequately attend to them even after proper complaints. Even when those allocated to our halls are called for repairs they do not respond, if they do they respond after three weeks or a month and most times never.• The issue of overcrowding has been brought to our notice wherein especially in female halls a six-man room has turned to twelve-man room: this is evident in Queen Elizabeth Hall II and Queen Idia Hall in the University of Ibadan.• The issue of plumbing needs to be isolated here, as this has caused serious disgust within our halls especially the bathrooms where bathrooms have turned to swimming pool as a result of broken pipes and poor drainage maintenance. Even in some bathrooms, the deckings are licking thereby producing showers of dirty water. We demand that adequate care and maintenance be adopted to prevent ill-health as a result of this.

Reading RoomsAll the reading rooms within the halls of residence are in a state of comatose as most facilities are not worthy to be called facilities. Most can now be referred to as decoration waiting for the dust that passes every day to inhabit them. Attention need be paid to fans, air conditions, chairs and tables. Some halls do not have sufficient reading rooms like Idia hall of residence.

Identification CardsThe use of Identity Cards to gain access within our halls of residence is not acceptable. The halls’ ID cards are made for security issues not for access to the hall or a means to intimidate students especially within the female hostels. We must point out here that this production of Hall ID cards has rendered the University ID card useless. The question we keep asking is: what is the need of the University Identity Card if it is not acceptable enough within the campus? In the Universities like the University of Ilorin, in Ilorin, Kwara State, the University Identity cards are like ATM cards used in paying the school fees, hostel fees, making withdrawals as a debit card and some other information technology-related activities but currently in the premier University, a unit of the institution has started discarding the University Student ID cards by going forward to produce separated ID cards. This is a waste on the part of the University and the students who pay for different ID cards within the campus. Additionally, there is extortion going on within the girl’s hostels from the porters with respect to these ID cards. Why collect the sum of #1000 as fine from us when we misplace our ID cards with no explanation or replacement? We demand that this should stop.No to #5,000 Fines for Late Payment of School FeesWe hereby wish to demand that the 5,000 naira fine of late payment of school fees should be stopped. The University Officials should note that fingers are not equal. When a student has been struggling to put his/her school fees together and then, when he/she is about rejoicing that the money is completed, the school management decides to add a 5,000 naira fine. We hereby wish to plead with the school management to reconsider its stand on the 5,000 naira fine for the sake of the less-privileged students.

SPECIFIC CASES

HALLS OF RESIDENCEI. The Kitchenettes in Mellanby Hall have so far been disconnected from the power source. Complaints have been made yet solutions have not been provided. This makes it difficult for students to prepare their food. Needless to say that the Hotplates in these kitchenettes are not even working anymore.

II. The issue of locks being vulnerable to multiple keys should also be looked into in both Mellanby and Bello Halls of Residence as soon as possible as this has contributed to the success of many theft cases in the hall.

III. There's also the issue of broken pipes in Block B and Block C inTedder and Bello halls of residence respectively.

IV. Residents of Bello, Indy and Zik halls have also complained about the faults in the wiring systems of the halls. A visit to most of the rooms will reveal students sleeping and romancing with live wires in the rooms. This issue is of great threat to students' life if not promptly looked into.

V. Awo Hall has been facing the challenges of having pumping machines to pump water to the topmost floors. Awo Hall Residents will be happy if this can be looked into as soon as possible as students go through great stress to fetch and carry water to these topmost floors.

VI. We will also wish to request for more cleaners to combat the dirty environment of Awo Hall.

VII. There are cases in Queens Hall where the students directly receive blessed showers of rain on their heads whenever, there is rainfall as there are no ceilings to prevent the downpour. This is similar to cases of sunny days that the students have to tolerate extreme hot temperature in an over-crowded room they paid for. VIII. The issue of water supply in Alexander Brown hall has been a perennial problem, in fact, the USLB has come to access and re-access to no avail. Recently, we witnessed a queue of buckets from A block extending down to C block in ABH. The effect of this situation on Brownites is so telling that going to class sometimes could be impossible. Almost everyone fetches from one source. We hereby demand that a long lasting solution should be implemented as soon as possible.IX. There are also accommodation issues in ABH and the solution to this as we have discovered is the construction of a new block. We deem it fit to bring it to the notice of the school management that a whole new set crosses over to UCH without provision for accommodation till the existing final year students leaves the college, a situation that may take six months or more. Eventually, less than 75% of students in UCH get accommodated. This is most inappropriate considering the rigors of Medical school. We humbly appeal to the University management to come to our rescue.X. Residents of Tedder Hall protested a couple of weeks ago against the construction of a gate inside the Hall. After the school management has promised to look into the matter, it is saddening to note that work has resumed in the construction of a cubicle behind the gate. We hereby wish to restate our displeasure on the construction of that gate and its partial lockage. In Tedder Hall, presently, there’s only an emergency exit and the construction of this gate will obviously make the free flow of movement very difficult in the face of stampede. We are talking about a potential threat to students’ lives here and we hope the school will make sure that the hall management stop this project. FACULTY

I. We hereby request that the road linking the Zoological Garden to the Faculty of Technology in the University of Ibadan should be tarred as soon as possible to put an end to the messy situation students get involved in during the raining season.

II. The drainage system in the Faculties of Agriculture and Arts is faulty and this prevents the free flow of water in the toilets which results in accumulation of water and unpleasant smell.

III. The issue of inadequacy of classrooms in the Faculty of Technology should be looked into especially with the 300 level to the 500 level classes. This situation makes learning very difficult and cumbersome.

IV. There is also agitation from Faculty of Education students on the need to decentralise Teaching practice from just Ibadan North Local Government, thus allowing the students to observe their Teaching Practice program in any school within the state.

V. Request to reconsider the exorbitant fee being paid by the students of Archaeology and Anthropology department. It becomes pertinent to question the rationale and appropriateness of paying #20,000 naira for field work when the school levy is just #16,450.

VI. Another issue of great concern is the welfare of students of European Studies department in the University. The school needs to be reminded that these students pay as much as #70,000 naira in case of German students and #90,000 naira in case of French students for their Year Abroad Programme. It becomes apparently questionable if these students still have to pay school fees of over #16,000 naira just because they are made to take 2 electives in the University. Our demand is that these students should stop paying school fees and if they must pay because of those 2 electives, then, provisions should be made for them to take these 2 electives before the commencement of the programme. We see this double payment as mere extortion and it should be noted that students from our sister University, Obafemi Awolowo University, do not pay during their Year Abroad Programme.

VII. We also need to question the rationale behind the inclusion of #1,000 naira Practical fee in the list of levies of Law Faculty students. It should be noted that no "practical" in any sense has been carried out for Law students in that Faculty. We hereby demand for the exclusion of this ridiculous fee from the school fees of Law Faculty students in the University of Ibadan. If the exclusion of this fee becomes difficult then, we demand justification for the payment immediately.

VIII. The issue of Timetable in the Faculty of Education and Technology should also be looked into. There are always conflicts in times of classes and these put the students in a confused situation as to select which of the clashing courses they will go for. This is an emergency situation that should be addressed as soon as possible as this has resulted in some students having extra year in the Faculty.

IX. Another issue that requires the school's utmost attention is that of Transcript issues. Students in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine are required to pay before getting their transcripts. We do not know why the students have to pay for transcripts when they have already paid dues relating to all these in their list of levies. It becomes laughable to know that these same transcripts that the students have to pay for have consistently featured errors in their calculation. In the same vein, students in the departments of Theatre Arts and Philosophy have complained about the non-issuance of transcript. This is a big problem as it becomes difficult for students who want to use such for scholarship and other extra-academic purposes.

X. We also demand that the deplorable state of female toilets be looked into in the Faculty of Arts in the University of Ibadan.

XI. We also demand the opening of classes and reading rooms 24 hours daily and not restricted to 8 am - 4 pm.

CONCLUSIONFrom the forgoing, we hereby urge the University of Ibadan authority to immediately look into the aforementioned issues as matters of urgency in that they form the very essence of the existence of the University, the inhabitants in the University of Ibadan. The age-long complaints that the University may not or cannot provide the basic amenities for the inhabitants of the University had over the years affected the qualities of the students being churned out year in, year out. We further admonish the University authorities to always see the students as integral parts of the University with the essence of ensuring adequate facilities in the 21st century in order to be able to compete favourably with their counterparts from elsewhere. We the students of the University of Ibadan had over the years suffered either neglect of responsibilities by the University administration or a total and deliberate clampdown on the voices of the students despite the existence of the Students’ Union with its reinstatement in 2011.We demand full provision of the aforementioned demands which are sacrosanct for our wellbeing and sense of belonging within the University community. It is with frown we have come together as concerned students of the University of Ibadan towards our emancipation from the shackles of oppression from various constituent units of the University of Ibadan. We ask that the University of Ibadan take a proactive step in addressing all these displeasure as it is glaring that facilities in the University of Ibadan are still inadequate and dilapidating.Thanks for your prompt and favourable response.

*This is the report of the students’ welfare meeting convened at the SRC on the 16th of May, 2015. In attendance are:Hall ChairpersonsFaculty presidentsAspirants Members of the Students’ Union Executive Members of the Students’ Representative CouncilNANS, JCC, OYO STATE Representative in UIPressmen